Dead Australian People Server

Welcome to the Dead Australian People Server, a simple little site inspired by the Dead People Server, the difference of course being this one is a list of only Australian celebrities and their status, living or otherwise. Click on any letter below to jump to celebs with surnames starting with that letter. For a chronological list of deaths, starting with the most recent, click here. Additions, suggestions, corrections or comments can be emailed to me at daps@iprimus.com.au

Bob Ansett (businessman) -- Alive. Born August 8, 1933. Managing director of Budget Rent-A-Car, went bankrupt in 1989. Son of Reg.

Reg Ansett (businessman) -- Dead. Died December 23, 1981. Born February 13, 1909. Founder of Ansett Airlines, father of Bob.

Queenie Ashton (actress) -- Dead. Old age. Died October 19, 1999. Born November 11, 1903.

Thea Astley (author) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died August 17, 2004. Born August 25, 1925. Won the Miles Franklin Award four times, for The Well Dressed Explorer, The Slow Natives, The Acolyte and Drylands.

Lew Bandt (engineer) -- Dead. Car accident. Died March 18, 1987. Born February 26, 1910. In 1933, while working for Ford, he designed the world's first ute. Died when he crashed his replica 1933 ute en route to the filming of a documentary about his invention.

Vivian Bullwinkel (nurse) -- Dead. Died July, 2000. Born December 18, 1915. Sole survivor of a group of Australian nurses machine-gunned by the Japanese in 1942.

Sir Stanley Burbury (judge/governor) -- Dead. Died April 24, 1995. Born December 2, 1909. Governor of Tasmania, 1973-82, having been acting governor three times before.

Sir Macfarlane Burnet (virologist) -- Dead. Died August 31, 1985. Born September 3, 1899. Won the 1960 Nobel Prize for Medicine.

Burnum Burnum (Aboriginal activist) -- Dead. Died August 17, 1997. Born January, 1936. In 1988, he planted an Aboriginal flag on the White Cliffs of Dover and claimed England for the Aboriginal people.

Jim Cairns (politician) -- Dead. Died October 12, 2003. Born October 4, 1914. Labor Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Treasurer, 1974-75. Organised moratoriums in the 70s, an integral part of getting Australia out of the Vietnam War.

Paul Chubb (actor) -- Dead. Cancer. Died June 8, 2002. Born January 14, 1949. Most famous for his film roles, including Maurie the pig farmer in Road to Nhill and the title character in The Roly Poly Man.

Manning Clark (historian/author) -- Dead. Died May 23, 1991. Born March 3, 1915. Wrote the five volumes of History of Australia.

Mavis Thorpe Clark (author) -- Dead. Died July 8, 1999. Born June 29, 1909. Children's author, wrote The Min Min.

Magnus Clarke (academic/media personality) -- Dead. Cancer. Died June 8, 2002. Born 1947. A respected commentator on international affairs and a regular writer for the Sunday Herald Sun. Also hosted the quiz show University Challenge during the 1980s.

Ron Clarke (athlete) -- Alive. Born February 21, 1937. He lit the flame at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

Mal Colston (politician) -- Dead. Cancer. Died August 23, 2003. Born April 5, 1938. Former Labor senator who ended his career in disgrace after the travel rorts scandal.

James Condon (actor) -- Alive. Born September 27, 1923. Veteran of stage and screen, had parts in Number 96, Prisoner and Neighbours. Married to Anne Haddy.

Peter Cook (politician) -- Dead. Melanoma. Died December 3, 2005. Born November 8, 1943. Former Federal Labor senator who held a variety of portfolios in the Hawke and Keating governments, including Trade Minister and Industrial Relations Minister.

Fred Daly (politician) -- Dead. Died August 3, 1995. Born June 13, 1913. One of his early campaign slogans was "Give us our Daly Fred".

Sir William Dargie (painter) -- Dead. Old age. Died July 26, 2003. Born August 8, 1912. Particularly noted as a portrait painter, he won eight Archibald Prizes. His subjects included Albert Namatjira and the Queen.

Frankie Davidson (singer) -- Alive. Born January 12, 1934.

Smoky Dawson (country singer) -- Alive.
Born March 19, 1913.

Myra de Groot (actress) -- Dead. Cancer. Died April 6, 1988. Born 1929. Eileen Clarke on Neighbours, also appeared in The Sullivans.

Maurice Gibb (singer) -- Dead. Heart attack/intestinal blockage. Died January 12, 2003. Born December 22, 1949. One of the Bee Gees, whose biggest hits included Stayin' Alive and How Deep is Your Love?.

Sir Harry Gibbs (judge) -- Dead. Died June 25, 2005. Born February 7, 1917. Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, 1981-87.

Lynda Gibson (comedian) -- Dead. Ovarian cancer. Died January 2, 2004. Born March 21, 1956. Stand-up comic who appeared in the TV series Frontline and the film The Castle.

Anne Haddy (actress) -- Dead. Heart & kidney ailments. Died June 6, 1999. Born October 5, 1930. Helen Daniels on Neighbours, married to James Condon.

Janine Haines (politician) -- Dead. Neurological illness. Died November 20, 2004. Born May 8, 1945. Became the first female to lead a federal political party in Australia as leader of the Democrats, 1986-90.

Colin Hayes (horse trainer) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died May 21, 1999. Born February 16, 1924. Won two Melbourne Cups, father of trainers David and Peter Hayes.

Peter Hayes (horse trainer) -- Dead. Plane crash. Died March 13, 2001. Born June 7, 1949. Son of Colin Hayes and brother of David.

Sir Robert Helpmann (ballet dancer) -- Dead. Died September 28, 1986. Born April 9, 1909.

Brian Henderson (newsreader) -- Alive. Born 1931. Hosted Bandstand in the 1950s and 60s and was for a long time a newsreader for Channel 9 in Sydney.

Sara Henderson (author) -- Dead. Breast cancer. Died April 29, 2005. Born 1936. Wrote the bestseller From Strength to Strength, an autobiography focusing on her time managing the family’s Bullo River cattle station in the Northern Territory.

Professor Fred Hollows (eye doctor) -- Dead. Cancer. Died February 10, 1993. Born April 7, 1929. Famous for his work in treating those in third world countries.

David Hookes (cricketer) -- Dead. Murdered. Died January 19, 2004. Born May 3, 1955. An exciting batsman who later made a career out of broadcasting. At the time of his death he was coach of the Victorian state team.

A. D. Hope (poet) -- Dead. Died July 13, 2000. Born July 21, 1907.

Donald Horne (author/academic) -- Dead. Died September 8, 2005. Born December 26, 1921. Best known as the author of The Lucky Country.

Robert Hughes (art critic) -- Alive, seriously injured in a car accident in 1999. Born July 28, 1938.

Barry Humphries (entertainer) -- Alive. Born February 17, 1934. Most famous for his alter-egos, Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson.

Bill Hunter (actor) -- Alive. Born February 27, 1940. Veteran actor who seems to be in every Australian film - credits include Muriel's Wedding, Strictly Ballroom and Crackerjack.

Michael Hutchence (singer) -- Dead. Apparent suicide by hanging, or possibly stupidity. Died November 22, 1997. Born January 22, 1960. Lead singer of INXS

Graham Kennedy (TV personality) -- Dead. Pneumonia. Died May 25, 2005. Born February 15, 1934. Known as "The King" of Australian television, but also an accomplished actor in films such as The Club.

Sir John Kerr (Governor-General) -- Dead. Died March 24, 1991. Born September 24, 1914. Governor-General, 1974-77. Infamous for his dismissal of the Whitlam government.

Sir James Killen (politician) -- Alive. Born November 23, 1925.

Bernard King (celebrity chef/entertainer) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died December 20, 2002. Born 1934. Best known as the acid-tongued judge on talent show Pot of Gold. In recent years he was a regular on Good Morning Australia.

James Kirk (chief executive) -- Dead. Died July 14, 1997. Born September 25, 1920. Chairman of Australian Bicentennial Authority.

David McComb (singer) -- Dead. Heroin toxicity. Died February 2, 1999. Born February 17, 1962. Singer for The Triffids, and also for The Blackeyed Susans.

Brett McDonald (quiz show champ) -- Dead. Car accident. Died November 25, 2000. Born 1966. Won $250,000 on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and five months later died in the car he bought with his winnings.

Pat McDonald (actress) -- Dead. Cancer. Died March 10, 1990. Born August 1, 1922. Played Dorrie Evans in Number 96 and Fiona Thompson in Sons and Daughters.

Sir John McEwen (politician) -- Dead. Died November 21, 1980. Born March 29, 1900. Country party Prime Minister, 1967-68.

Richard McGarvie (judge/governor) -- Dead. Died May 24, 2003. Born May 21, 1926. A former Justice of the Victorian Supreme Court and Governor of Victoria, 1992-1997.

Leo McKern (actor) -- Dead. Died July 23, 2002. Born March 16, 1920. Horace Rumpole in Rumpole of the Bailey.

Kerry Packer (media tycoon) -- Dead. Kidney failure. Died December 26, 2005. Born December 17, 1937. Was Australia's richest man, with an estimated net worth of $6.5 billion. Best known as owner of the Nine Network and as the founder of World Series Cricket.

Ruth Park (author) -- Alive. Born June 20, 1922. Wrote The Harp in the South, Poor Man's Orange and Playing Beatie Bow.

Des Renford (Long distance swimmer) -- Dead. Heart attack, while swimming. Died December 31, 1999. Born August 25, 1927. Swam the English Channel 19 times in all.

Dick Reynolds (footballer) -- Dead. Heart attack. Died September 2, 2002. Born June 20, 1915. A triple Brownlow medallist, he was voted Essendon's greatest ever player shortly before his death.

Henry Reynolds (historian) -- Alive. Born March 1, 1938. Famous for writing histories of the European invasion of Australia from the Aboriginal perspective, notably The Other Side of the Frontier.

Lou Richards (footballer) -- Alive. Born March 15, 1923. A Collingwood Premiership captain of the 1950s, he became a famous commentator and TV personality in his later years.

Daniel Rigney (actor) -- Dead. Brain haemmorrhage. Died November 24, 1997. Born June 18, 1966. Frank in The Damnation of Harvey McHugh and had parts in several films including Thank God He Met Lizzie and The Island of Dr. Moreau.

Rene Rivkin (stockbroker) -- Dead. Suicide. Died May 1, 2005. Born June 6, 1944. One of Australia’s best-known sharemarket gurus with his Rivkin Report, but convicted of insider trading in 2003.

Stan Rofe (radio personality) -- Dead. Cancer. Died May 16, 2003. Born May 23, 1934. Famed DJ of the 1950s and 60s.

Ken Rosewall (tennis player) -- Alive. Born November 2, 1934.

Sir James Rowland (governor) -- Dead. Died May 27, 1999. Born November 1, 1922. Governor of New South Wales, 1982-89.

Bill Roycroft (equestrian) -- Alive. Born March, 1915. Winner of one gold and two bronze Olympic medals. At the 1960 Games, he discharged himself from hospital with a broken collarbone (against doctor's orders) and rode a perfect round to ensure his team won gold.

Bruce Ruxton (RSL President) -- Alive. Born February 6, 1926. The extremely outspoken President of the Victorian branch of the RSL, 1979-2002.

Eddie Thomson (soccer coach) -- Dead. Died February 20, 2003. Born February 25, 1947. Scottish-born coach of the Socceroos, 1990-96.

Pat Thomson (actress) -- Dead. Died April 19, 1992. Born c.1930. Her last film role was as Paul Mercurio's mother in Strictly Ballroom.

Peter Thomson (golfer) -- Alive. Born August 23, 1929. Won three Australian Opens and five British Opens.

Frank Thring (actor) -- Dead. Cancer. Died December 29, 1994. Born May 11, 1926. Pontius Pilate in Ben Hur and many other films.

Charles "Bud" Tingwell (actor) -- Alive. Born January 3, 1923. Turns up in seemingly every Australian film and TV series, best known as Inspector Reg Lawson in Homicide, also memorable as Lawrence Hammill in The Castle.

David Tonkin (politician) -- Dead. Died October 1, 2000. Born July 20, 1929. Liberal Premier of South Australia, 1979-82.

John Tonkin (politician) -- Dead. Died 1995. Born 1902. Labor Premier of Western Australia, 1971-74.

Percy Trezise (artist) -- Dead. Died May 10, 2005. Born 1923. Legendary Aboriginal rock artist who was most famous to a generation of schoolchildren for his dreamtime-related children's books written with Dick Roughsey.

Sir Richard Trowbridge (governor) -- Dead. Died May 4, 2003. Born January 21, 1920. Governor of Western Australia, 1980-83.

Patrick White (writer) -- Dead. Died September 30, 1990. Born May 28, 1912. Won the 1973 Nobel Prize for Literature. Author of The Twyborn Affair.

Arkie Whiteley (actress) -- Dead. Cancer. Died December 19, 2001. Born November 6, 1965. Daughter of Brett Whiteley, she appeared in Prisoner and A Town Like Alice before in later years turning up in Kavanagh QC.

Brett Whiteley (painter) -- Dead. Died June 15, 1992. Born April 7, 1939.

Sir Eric Willis (politician) -- Dead. Died May 10, 1999. Born January 15, 1922. Liberal Premier of New South Wales, 1976.

Frank Wilson (actor) -- Dead. Died October 24, 2005. Born April 11, 1924. Prolific actor best known for film roles in The Club and Breaker Morant, and to younger audiences known as Len Johnson in the film Crackerjack.

Sir Ronald Wilson (judge/social activist) -- Dead. Died July 15, 2005. Born August 23, 1922. Best known as co-author of the Bringing Them Home report into the Stolen Generation.

Norman Yemm (actor) -- Alive. Born 1933. He played Jim Patterson in Homicide and also featured in Number 96 and The Sullivans.

Cliff Young (marathon man) -- Dead. Died November 2, 2003. Born February 8, 1922. Became an overnight celebrity when he won the Sydney to Melbourne marathon in 1983, at the age of 61. A farmer in rural Victoria, he wore gumboots for much of the marathon.

Mick Young (politician) -- Dead. Died April 8, 1996. Born October 9, 1936.